The enjoyment of summer vacations comes from experiencing new places or visiting favorite places. But, being away from your home for any length of time leaves your house and property susceptible to break-ins and robbery.
We’ve assembled our top 7 tips for protecting your home while you are away on vacation.
1. Install a Video Security System
Installing a high-quality security camera system in your home gives a first-line-of-defense against break-ins and burglary. Choosing a video security system with the right number of cameras needed to cover your whole property, inside and out is important. Make sure crucial areas such as your front and back doors, yard, rooms with valuables, and entrances inside of your home have sufficient surveillance coverage.
It is also important to choose the best security cameras for your home or business needs. Infrared security cameras or IR cameras will provide improved low light and nighttime surveillance capabilities. Also, hidden cameras provide an additional level of security, when combined with a video security system. Hidden cameras are camouflaged inside of enclosures that look like common, ordinary objects such as an AC adapter, smoke detector, or floodlight, and can be positioned around key areas of your home. Hidden cameras are nearly invisible—so criminals won’t know they are even being watched, or be able to disconnect or damage the cameras to elude being caught on video.
Furthermore, a home security system that can be seen and managed remotely with your cell phone or mobile device and can provide additional peace-of-mind while you are away from home on vacation or just away.
2. Keep Your Home Lighted Well
Thieves often mark homes that are not well lit. They use the lack of light to their benefit to break into your home while going unseen. Therefore, it’s important to keep your home sufficiently lit. You can achieve this by installing timers to turn on indoor lights at different intervals, and at various times while you are not home. You can also install motion detection floodlights that can turn on whenever motion is sensed in your yard. At the very least, install motion-activated floodlights in your front and back yard for added protection.
3. Make Sure to Hide Your Valuables
Before you get on with your vacation, you’ll definitely want to take a look around your home and make sure your valuables are safely hidden from view. Eliminate any expensive electronics such as laptops or tablets away from a clear view from a window. Place valuables such as jewelry, credit cards, rare coins, money, and other possessions in a trusted safe, or a safety deposit box while you are away from home. Other items such as grills, lawn equipment, and toys should also be hidden from view and locked up also.
4. Make Sure to Lock All Doors and Windows
Locking all doors and windows before you leave is also extremely important. Many thieves break into your house by entering through an unlocked door or window. Double-check all windows, side, back, and front doors are locked securely before you leave for your vacation.
For added security, you can strengthen your patio door by placing a wooden or steel rod in the door track. This will prevent robbers from being able to open the sliding glass door if they get open or unlock the door.
Additionally, you need to make sure your garage door is secure. If you have an automatic garage door, you can unplug the power to it for added protection, because crafty thieves can use a universal remote to open your garage door, if it’s getting power.
5. Put a Hold on Your Mail
If you are going to be on vacation for more than a few days, you’ll want to let the post office know to hold your mail or have a reliable neighbor or friend pick up your mail for you. That way, you won’t have mail stacking up in your mailbox, which can tip off thieves that you’re not home. Also, if you have a daily or weekly newspaper delivery, have a friend or neighbor pick up the newspapers too.
6. Unplug All Electronics
In order to guard your electronics such as computers, TV’s, gaming systems, and other valuable items while you are away on vacation, just unplug them. Unplugging these devices will stop any damage occurred while you are away by a potential power surge, power outage, brownout, rolling blackout, or other electrical catastrophes.
7. Always Check Heating and Cooling Systems
Before you leave on your vacation, it’s always a good idea to check your heating and cooling systems, and hot water heaters to make sure they are running properly, and are not in need of any repair. The last thing you need to do is to come home to a flooded house from a hot water heater that gave out, pipes that froze, or an air conditioner that just stopped working.
Quick Key Locksmith & Security is always here to answer any questions or give suggestions to any locksmith or surveillance questions you might have. We want our neighborhoods to be as safe as possible for everyone living here.